The Ethics of Research A summary of the British Sociological Association Guidelines

Truthfulness Findings must be reported truthfully and accurately.

Training Do not carry out work which is above your level of training and experience.

Safety Do not put yourself at risk of physical or moral danger.

Respondent's safety Do not embarrass, shame or endanger any of the subjects of the research.

Trust Do not abuse the trust of people who are being studied.

Consent People should know that they are being studied and should give their consent.

Withdrawal If people do not want to continue in a study, then they can pull out at any time.

Video and tape Do not tape or video people if they don’t want to be recorded.

Feedback If it is possible, people should have some form of feedback from research.

False hope Don’t lead people on by asking questions that make them think things will change because of the research.

Vulnerable people Some people are vulnerable because of age, infirmity or understanding. Take special care of their feelings.

Exploitation Try not to lie to people. This means that observations should be avoided, if there is a chance they intrude into people’s lives.

Anonymity Protect people’s identity at all times. Do not give real names or clues to who they are which might identify them.

The end For further information: See the British Sociological Association